


I Really Hope Alteans Find Social Awkwardness Endearing Instead Of Embarrassing...

by ForensicSpider98



Series: Love After the Fact [27]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, All this stress is bad for the baby, Altean Adam (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-War, it's keith. keith is the baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23749552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: Keith is the densest substance in the universeEdit: I originally put in the wrong title and summary for this episode oops! (I am the second densest substance in the universe...)
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Coran (Voltron), Allura/Lotor/Romelle (Voltron), Haggar/Zarkon (Voltron), Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Love After the Fact [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635043
Comments: 23
Kudos: 204





	I Really Hope Alteans Find Social Awkwardness Endearing Instead Of Embarrassing...

“Why are we doing this now?” Keith grumbles, holding up his arms for Vetroneius. He’s in their workshop, surrounded by rolls of fabric and thread in various colors. A few others scurry about the large room, seeking different things, but they’re mostly obscured by a wall of cloth.

“The Frost Ball is to be held exactly one movement after the frost. I have exactly two movements before Alfor expects all the clothes finished and one of my seamstresses is on maternity leave.”

Vetroneius looks different today. Their body is more female in appearance than the more familiar male. It’s absolutely baffling to Keith, but he’s not at all sure how to ask about it, and entirely sure that he shouldn’t.

Alteans are just so frustratingly strange and he's not sure who to ask when his friend's secondary sex characteristic change overnight. Why would an Altean care enough to do such a thing? What does it mean? Just when he thinks he understands this bizarrely binary species, something like this happens.

He just hopes his friend is okay.

“Frost is this ‘winter’ thing, right?” Keith lowers his arms. Vetroneius makes a few notes on their tablet.

“That’s correct.” Vetroneius frowns. “How did you like your wedding costume? Aside from the gloves, of course.”

“It was… stiff? Heavy? It was pretty, too.”

“Well, I can’t actually do anything regarding the stiffness or the heaviness. In fact, it’s going to be heavier for the ball since you’ll be decorated in gold. But I can work with aesthetics. So… Why don’t we go with white side panels with a red front? It’ll give you a stouter frame and you’ll stand out a bit more.”

“Lucky me,” Keith mumbles.

“It won’t be so bad. It'll make you look more masculine," the seamsmaster says. Keith hates the way his ears perk at that. "I’ll reverse the paneling on Crown Prince Lancel’s costume, too, so you two will be a unit. And don’t be nervous about the ball. I’m sure the Crown Prince will do most of the talking. All you’ll have to do is eat, drink, and endure rude, ignorant people.” Keith offers the seamsmaster a flat stare. “You’ll live, your majesty.”

“Yes, but to what end? Is it even worth it?” Keith sighs dramatically, willing to go out of his way to amuse his friend.

“No. Suck it up and deal.”

“Okay.” Keith tugs on one of the sleeves. “The sleeves could be longer.”

“Gold cuffs. I haven’t added them yet.” Vetroneius turns, holding a tape in their hands. “Now, you’re going to need a cloak for winter. What color do you want it?”

“Red?”

Vetroneius smiles. “Red it is. Black fur?” 

Keith nods. “That sounds nice.”

“And Crown Prince Lancel will want blue with white fur. He needs to get himself in here so I can measure him as well.”

“He’ll be here soon. He needed something to eat first.”

“Ah… How long have you been here now?” Vetroneius inspects various fabrics, pulling jars of powdered dye from a shelf above their sewing station.

“Six and a half phoebs.”

“Your season is approaching fast, then. You’ll be an adult soon.”

“I suppose? I think two or three phoebs.”

“Are you ready?” Vetroneius has such an open face, looking up as they pin a hem. They’re exactly the kind of person Keith gets attached to. The kind that cares.

“I… It will make certain aspects of my life much easier. The alliance will be much more solid.” Keith takes the initiative to sit on a stool while the Altean unpins his hair from the top of his head, running clever fingers through it. “I don’t feel ready, but after my growth spurt, everything will be fine.”

“So you think it will be easy?” Vetroneius murmurs, sewing gold threads into Keith’s hair, squinting at their work. “To give yourself to someone just because you’re suddenly old enough to feel desire? That's nothing to scoff at. It will mean something, Prince Yorak. The crown prince is not a stranger you will pass in the night; he is your spouse.” Their brows furrow. “Doesn’t he mean anything to you?”

Keith stares at his hands. Lance means a great deal to him, means more and more to him with every quintant that passes. He’s just not sure what to do with it. He doesn’t want to spend his life knowing his feelings are one-sided. It’s better to be silent.

“Of course he does,” Keith whispers, because he has friends now, and he’s supposed to be able to talk to them about these things. “I just don’t mean those things to him.”

Vetroneius frowns. “Are you so certain?”

Keith doesn't respond.

Lance arrives a moment later, a roll of bread hanging from his mouth and a chest in his arms. He sets the chest down on Vetroneius’ work table, removes the bread from his mouth. “Hey, Vetroneius. You look beautiful. I brought you all my jewelry. I'd prefer we reused something as opposed to making something new. It's a waste of gold. Hey, beloved.”

Keith blushes beneath his fur as Lance takes one of his hands, kisses the corner of his mouth. Vetroneius rolls their eyes. Not meaning ‘those things to him’, their ass. Their wife and son’s asses, too come to think of it. Whatever. Not their business.

“I can’t stay long, I’m afraid. I need to go find my fathers and tell them I invited Lotor and the girls to the Frost Ball without asking, so you have like, twenty doboshes.”

“That’s fine, I already know most of what to do with your sorry self.” Vetroneius shoves a half-finished outfit at the prince. “Put this on quickly them. Ah!” They snatch the roll from him. “No eating in my clothes!”

“Oh, come on! That’s the only thing I’ve eaten all day!”

“Too bad! Go change!” Vetroneius folds their arms until Crown Prince Lancel disappears into the dressing room to change. They turn back to Prince Yorak’s hair, braiding it close to the scalp along one side so it hangs down over his left shoulder. Gold strands shimmer amid the dark locks. It looks lovely, glittering with fine gold threads. “Do you want red as well?”

“I think just this is fine. It’s very pretty.” Keith inspects his hair. “How long with this stay in for?”

“A few movements. Maybe longer. Eventually it will fall out on its own with your hair, or you can come back and I’ll remove it for you.” The seamsmaster begins scribbling on their datapad.

“I’ll just keep it then, though you might have to re-do it for the stupid ball.” Keith bites his lip. He’s not sure why Lance felt the need to say it, or what exactly is going on, but he decides to follow his spouse’s lead. “You look really pretty today.”

Vetroneius pauses in their note-taking. They’re not quite sure how much Keith knows or even understands, but they’re grateful. “I- Thank you.”

Keith smiles, pleased as he waits for his spouse. Lance returns, dressed in his traditional blue and white. Vetroneius has him move and comment on how it feels, makes notes, gestures to the chest on their work table. “Are those all of your ornaments?”

“Except the ones I’m wearing,” Lance gestures to his ears.

“Okay. Both of you go undress. I have others coming in in ten dobashes, so make it fast or you’ll have company.”

Lance tugs Keith into the small dressing room. Keith sighs as he extricates himself from the clothes. “I hate all Altean clothes, but formal clothes are the absolute worst.”

“Yeah, I hate ‘em too.” Lance makes a point of turning his back to Keith. “But we only have to wear them every so often and Vetroneius makes them as comfortable as they can. Please, please, _please_ endure it for me, okay? The ball is going to be extremely important. Not only is my childhood friend’s partner being presented, but Lotor, my sister, and hopefully Romelle will be there too. I haven’t seen Romelle in a decaphoeb and a half now and we all need to show as much camaraderie as possible so Lady Renli shuts her fucking trap.”

Keith turns back to his spouse in time to see him pulling down the hem of his shirt. He looks tired, stressed, worried. Taking Lance’s hands, he watches brown fingers tighten over his purple ones. “I know how important it is, for you and for the kingdom. I’ll do everything I can, I promise. Don’t worry so much. Lotor is more experienced than either of us and he says that for now we should observe and question. When we find something actionable, we figure out who to impale, impale them, and move on with our lives, okay?”

“Yeah,” Lance squeaks, voice thin. He looks tired, strained as he tries for a smile. “Yeah, okay.”

“Okay.” Keith returns the smile, kisses Lance’s cheek, lips brushing against his scales. They start glittering, a blush working its way underneath as Keith watches.

“Come on.” Lance mumbles. “I need some real food.”

“Y-yeah. Um. Me too.”

Keith smiles, holds Lance’s hand as they say goodbye to Vetroneius on their way to the kitchens. He wonders if perhaps he has a chance after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time on Love After the Fact: We take a brief trip to Daibazaal, where Romelle finally gets a line!


End file.
